Is Luka Doncic a bust in the Finals? Mavs star under fire for poor defense and underachievement in clutch time

The Dallas Mavericks are facing elimination after losing three straight games to the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. ESPN's Brian Windhorst harshly criticized Mavs' star Luka Doncic following their Game 3 loss, especially focusing on his costly late-game foul.

Windhorst did not hold back, stating. "That Luka fell onto the ground there in an unacceptable position to put himself in with four minutes left and five fouls. And then immediately looks at the bench and says, 'You better bleeping challenge it,' as if it's the bench's fault that he just made a terrible play."

The Mavericks cut a 21-point Celtics lead to just one point in the fourth quarter, but their efforts faltered when Doncic fouled out with just over four minutes remaining. This left Dallas without their star player at a critical moment.

Standing in the Mavericks tunnel, Windhorst remarked: "Over there is the Celtics tunnel. That's where the winners are. If Luka is ever going to be a winner coming out of this tunnel here, he is going to have to use this."

Doncic finished the game with 27 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists, but his struggles in the fourth quarters of the series have been glaring. Over the first three games, he has scored only 8 points in the fourth quarters, shooting a dismal 3 for 15 from the field, translating to a troubling 20% shooting accuracy. His 0% success rate from three-point range during these critical periods has contributed to a low 23.9% True Shooting percentage.

Mavericks' hopes dim as Celtics dominate NBA Finals

The Mavericks are set to play Game 4 against the Celtics at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Doncic, who fouled out for just the third time in his career, missed the final 4:12 of Game 3, a period during which the Mavericks were outscored 13-9. The criticism of Doncic, 25, is intensifying with each Mavericks loss. They are now down 3-0, and the Celtics have a chance to sweep the series.

Windhorst also criticized Doncic for his frequent complaints about officiating and his defensive shortcomings. Despite battling injuries, including a bruised chest and previously reported sprained knee and ankle soreness, Doncic's offensive talent remains undeniable. However, his first Finals appearance has revealed areas of his game that need improvement.

Coach Jason Kidd acknowledged Doncic's defensive struggles. "He's got to be able to guard and understand that we're there to protect him and help him if he does get beat." Despite the challenges, teammate Kyrie Irving emphasized the team's support for Doncic, saying, "It's easy to point the finger at just him, say, you could be better. That's easy to say. I think he knows that... We all have his back."